Divine Mercy Sunday at the Shrine
One of the beloved patron saints of the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe is St. Faustina Kowalska, whom Our Lord chose as His messenger of Divine Mercy. In the messages He entrusted to her, He requested that the Feast of Divine Mercy be celebrated one week after Easter Sunday. You are invited to experience His Divine Mercy at the Shrine.
Why Did Divine Mercy Sunday Begin?
Our Lord’s promises regarding this feast show His desire to give generously from His divine abundance. “I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners,” Jesus told St. Faustina. “The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment” (Diary of St. Faustina, §699). In a time when so many feel lost or alone, our Savior offers the hope of His perfect love: “Tell aching mankind to snuggle close to My merciful Heart, and I will fill it with peace” (§1074).
Pope St. John Paul II and Divine Mercy
Although St. Faustina died in 1933, the Feast of Divine Mercy was not formally instituted until April 30, 2000, by Pope St. John Paul II, at St. Faustina’s canonization. On that joyful day, the Holy Father proclaimed, “His message of mercy continues to reach us through his hands held out to suffering man. This is how Sr. Faustina saw him and proclaimed him to people on all the continents.” St. John Paul II also emphasized that receiving God’s mercy is inseparable from sharing that mercy with others.
How is Divine Mercy Sunday Celebrated?
The Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe makes every effort to help everyone benefit from the special graces of this feast, which falls this year on April 7. In addition to the regular Sunday schedule, pilgrims may participate in a Eucharistic holy hour, a Divine Mercy reflection and consecration, the Divine Mercy chaplet in English and Spanish, and an opportunity to venerate a relic of St. Faustina.
In keeping with the spirit of the day, opportunities for confessions will be significantly expanded. The Shrine has been assigned the task on Divine Mercy Sunday of hosting confessions for the whole Deanery of La Crosse, which includes the city of La Crosse and some nearby towns. Fr. Paul Check, Executive Director of the Shrine, explains the deaneries as “subsets, pieces of the diocese that break it up to help in the governance of the diocese, to help in administrative questions and so on.” The Shrine holds confessions for the deanery at the request of the dean, Msgr. Steve Kachel. For this occasion, several additional spaces are set up for confession in the Shrine Church. See the schedule.
Cardinal Burke and the Celebration
In addition, the Shrine is blessed once again to welcome its founder, Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke, to lead the celebration. At the same event two years earlier, his Eminence reflected on the power of Divine Mercy as “the answer to the great evils which we face in society today,” transforming our lives and, through us, the whole world: “With the Holy Spirit as our Helper and Guide, we know the all-merciful love of God toward us, and we overcome whatever divides us from one another, loving one another as Christ loves us.”
Fount of Mercy
The Feast of Divine Mercy is a unique expression of that merciful love and an opportunity to receive it. The Shrine looks forward to welcoming all who come seeking the Lord’s mercy, both those from within the deanery and travelers from farther away, and sharing with them the abundance of sacramental grace and devotional riches that make up this Feast’s celebration.
Sacred Art within the Shrine Church
There are six paintings along the side aisles within the Church, depicting saints who are honored at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe for their particular patronage. For the artist’s statement about the Divine Mercy Side Altar painting, please click “Learn More”.